Washing machine



March11 ,1924 11,486,415$

W. L. RODGERS WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1wlfmzsszss IINVIFTNQTYOR ATTORNEYS March 11 1924.

' W. L. RODGERS WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. ill, W2 i.

WILLIAM L. RODGERS, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE.

Application filed October 3, 1922. Serial No. 592,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VJILLIAM L. Ronenns, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in WashingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing machines, and particularly to themeans for re movably mounting an oscillating tub upon its supportingframe and the detailed construction of the said tub.

It is an object of the invention to so associate the several parts ofthe supporting frame, the gearing for causing oscillation of the tub,the bearings for the trunnions of the tub, and the connection betweenthe gearing and the tub in such fashion that the tub may be easily andreadily removed and as readily replaced within the frame.

It is a special object of the invention to provide a driving connectionbetween the gearing and the oscillating tub at one end thereofcomprising a crank arm provided with a radial slot for receiving atrunnion block attached to the tub, and disposing the parts so thatthesaid crank arm will normally depend under the influence of gravityfor the purpose of vertically positioning the slot therein, to enablethe tub being as readily replaced in operative position within the frameas it can be removed therefrom by vertically lifting same.

It is also a special object of the invention to provide an oscillatingtub for washing machines which is simple in construction, easy tomanufacture, sanitary, which is extremely durable, and which iseffective and noiseless in operation.

It is still a further special object of the invention to provide anoscillating tub provided with a perforated false bottom, spaced from thebottom of the main body thereof, which is corrugated throughoutsubstantially its entire extent, and having the perforations so disposedas to avoid any deleterious action upon the clothes during the washingoperation.

Further special objects of the invention are to provide a tub readilypermitting the passage of dirt to a sediment-collecting chamber anddrain trough disposed below the false bottom and equipped with means forefi'ectively disposing of such sediment and dirt, to so connect thefalse bottom with the body and end walls of the tub as to leave no openspaces into which the clothes may catch during washing and be grippedtherein due to fieXion of the parts; to provide a false bottom ofinverted \/shape having the portion which connects the sloping sidesthereof removable so as to facilitate ready access to thesediment-collecting chamber, to provide a tub in which a rubbing actionupon the clothes is constantly effected during its entire operation; andto provide a tub having trunnion supporting spiders which are soconnected therewith as to prevent any relative movement therebetweenthus avoiding their becoming loose and noisy due to wear of the partseven after long use.

These and other objects of the invention will more readily appear whentaken in connection with the following description and the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view, with a portion ofthe side frame members broken away, illustrating the means employed formounting the oscillating tub within the supporting frame; Fig. 2 avertical sectional view, with parts in elevation, taken on the line HIIof Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a view partly in section and partly in elevationshowing the construction of one of the spiders of the tub; Fig. 1- aView, similar to Fig. 3, showing the construction of the spider mountedat the opposite end of the tub; and Fig. 5 an enlarged detailedsectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1 illustrating theconstruction and method of mounting of the false bottom spaced from thebottom of the tub to form a sediment-collecting and drain chamber.

The frame of the machine comprises the side frame members 1, 2, and theend frame members 3, 4, connected together in any suitable manner, as byriveting, so as to procure a rigid construction, the entire frame beingsupported upon casters indicated at 5, 5. Fixed to the end frame member3 is a plate 6 having integrally formed therewith the open-toppedtrunnion bearing! for receiv inc; the cylindrical trunnion 8 projectingfrom the spider 9 attached to one end wall of the tub in a manner to bepresently described.

Fixed in any suitable manner to the end frame member 4 is a gear housing9 containing the gearing for causing oscillation of the tub. The detailsof this gearing form no part of the present invention, except in sotegrally with the spider 15 attached to the end wall of the tub, isadapted to fit within the slot 12, with the lower end of the blockresting upon and supported by the abutment lug 13. Because both thebearing 7 and the slot 12 are l open-topped, the tub may bereadilyremovedby' merely lifting the same vertically, and due to theaction of gravity which maintainsthe crank arm 11 normally in'averticalposi'tion when the source of driving power is disconnectedtherefrom, the tub may b e-readily repilacedin operative position withinthe frame. This feature of applicants construction is of great practicalimportance, since it not only enables the tub to be easily and quicklyremoved and replaced whenever desired, but facilitates the handling ofthe washing machine in trans porting from place to place. The tub is ofsuch proportions and weight that it can be easily handled as a unit, andafter remov al of the tub from the frame, the frame can be easilycarriedby a single person by getting within the frame, and bodilygripping either the side or end frame members thereof with the hands.

In order to rigidly attach the spiders 9 and 15 'to'th'e tub, and toprevent any possibility of relative or lost motion therebetween with theconsequent resulting noisy operation after continued use, the end walls16 and 17 of the tub are pressed inwardly so as to produce depressionstherein corresponding exactly in outline and in lateral dimensions tothe spiders. The spiders are positioned within these depressions andsnugly fit therein, beingpermanently held in place by riveting'o'r:bolting as indicated at 18. The depth of thesedepressions may be variedaccording to'the 'size'and weight of the tilb, in the form illustratedin the drawings the dept'hbeing su'chas to cause the spiders to be butpartially embraced by the end walls of the tub, a's'vclearlyshown inFig. 2. These depressions perform afdual, function, not onlyre'ceivingand' maintaining the spiders but also serving as strengtheningcorrugations for, the ,end wall of the tub.

"The oscillating "tub "comprises the f end walls 16,-17 and tlielmainbody portion 18 attached tosaid walls'in any approved man heras"bytheseaniS"indicated at 19. The

upper portion of the main body 18 is provided with an opening formedwith a peripheral depressed lip 20 upon which the marginal flange '21 ofa top or cover 22 is adapted to rest. The bottom of the main bodyportion 18 at its lowest portion is pressed outwardly to form a trough23, this trough gradually increasing in both width and depth from theend wall 17 to a point adjacent the end wall 16, at which point a draincock 2% communicates therewith.

Positioned above the bottom portion of the main body 18 and spacedtherefrom to provide a scdiment-collecting chamber 25 is a false bottomformed by the sections 26, 26, which is attached to the body 18throughout its entire perimeter as bysoldering. The false bottom isofinverted V- shape and is corrugated throughout substantially itsentire extent except the space between the sections which is filled by aremovable door 27 connecting the two sloping sides thereof, forproviding ready access to the seclinient-collectingchamber wheneverdesired. The door 27 extends the full width of the tub being formed withdepending flanges which rest upon ledges 27 and 27 provided by turningthe inner edges of the section 26, 26 downwardly and laterally, themetal adjacent the edges being bent upon itself, as clearly shown inFig. 5. The central portion of the door is depressed at 27 for thereception of the upper bar 27 of a latch or locking device, the upperbar being rigidly secured to a lower bar provided with the oppositelyextending prongs 27, 27 by a pin 27". The prongs 27, 27 are of suchlength and the remaining parts of such dimensions that the prongs firmlyengage the lower surfaces of the ledges 27, 27, when the latch is turnedto the position shown in Fig. 5 so as to securely fasten the same inposition. From the above description, it is obvious that by merelyturning the upper bar 27 through an arc of about ninetydegrees, theprongs 27, 27 will be moved out of engagement with the ledges 27 d bebodily removed by lifting the same. The false bottom is provided with aseries of perforations 28 which are disposed in the bottomsof thegrooves formed by the upstanding ribs 29 of the corrugations.

Attached to the inner surface of the body 18 at aflsubstantialdistanceabove'the false bottom 26, at opposite sides of the tub,-areinwardly extending deflecting baflies 30, 30 for preventing .thewaterneaching the filling opening of the top and for directing the sametowards the center of the tub. The bodyv of the tub'is corrugatedthroughout the portions31,3l" located between thefalse 27, after whichthe door may 1 botitoiniaiid theJbaffies 30",the corruga 5 s n iithe 1th a ming. Wi h th corrugations of the false bottom a continuous1,4ee,ecs

rubbing surface over which the clothes are constantly moved during theoscillation of the tub.

The operation of the device is obvious from the above description of theconstruction thereof, functioning in a well known manner. The tub beingpartially filled with suds, the clothes to be washed are placed withinthe interior through the filling opening disposed at the top, which isthen closed by the cover plate 22. Oscillation of the tub causes theclothes to be moved alternately back and forth from one side portion ofthe false bottom to the other side portion disposed at the opposite sideof the tub. During the travel of the clothes from one side of the tub tothe other a rubbing effect over the corrugations of the body of the tuband in the false bottom is secured similar to the rubbing effectproduced by an ordinary washboard when washing by hand. In addition tothe rubbing effect, oscillation of the tub, due to the movement of thebody of water therein, causes a suction effect upon its receding end anda jet effect at its advancing end. Water and air are thus drawndownwardly through the clothes at one side of the false bottom and areforced in strong jets upwardly through the clothes at the other side ofthe said bottom, the water freely passing through the perforations 28,the baffle 30, 30, serving to limit the flow upwardly along the sides ofthe tub and to deflect the water over the clothes towards its center.Due to the fact that the false bot tom 26 is rigidly secured to the bodyand end walls of the tub throughout its entire perimeter, no open spacesor slits are provided in which the clothes can be caught or gripped, anddue to the positioning of the perforations 28 within the bottoms of thegrooves of the corrugations, all deleterious action upon the clothes dueto their presence is avoided. In actual operation it is found thatduring the oscillation of the tub, the clothes are forced to pass overthe sides of the tub as well as over the false bottom 26. By providingcorrugations throughout the portions 31 and 31 of the body 18, apreliminary rubbing efiect is secured previous to the suction effectcaused by the passage of the water downwardly through the perforationsof the false bottom, and a dipping or settling effect subsequently tothe forcing of the water upwardly therethrough.

It is thus seen that the invention provides a simple, compact, andconvenient combination of parts, in which the tub may be easily andreadily removed from and replaced in the frame, and a tub which isextremely durable and efficient for the purpose intended, one in whichthere is an ample sedimentcollecting chamber provided below the falsebottom with means for readily carrying off any dirt and sediment removedfrom the clothes during the washing operation, also one free of allparts which are liable to catch or grip the clothes during movementthereof, one in which a rubbing effect is continuously obtained duringthe entire operation as well as the desirable suction and jet effect ofthe water, and a construction which is not liable to become noisy evenafter long continued use.

While I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of theinvention in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, itis obvious that many changes may be made in the detailed constructionand exact arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of theinvention. It is therefore not intended to limit the invention beyondthat specifically pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tub for an oscillating washing machine comprising a main body andend walls, a perforated corrugated false bottom spaced from the bottomportion of the main body and attached to said body and walls throughoutsubstantially its entire perimeter, the main body being also corrugatedthroughout an appreciable extent immediately adjacent and above thefalse bottom.

2. A tub for an oscillating washing machine comprising a main body andend walls, a perforated corrugated false bottom spaced from the bottomportion of the main body forming a sediment-collecting chamber andattached to said body and walls throughout substantially its entireperimeter, the main body being also corrugated throughout an appreciableextent immediately adjacent and above the false bottom, the bottom ofthe main body being pressed outwardly to form a trough at its centralportion, the trough gradually increasing in both width and depth towardsone of the end walls, and a drain cock communicating with the troughadjacent its widest and deepest portion.

3. A tub for an oscillating washing machine comprising a main body andend walls, trunnion-supporting spiders provided with radially projectingarms attached to each of the end walls, said walls being pressedinwardly to form depressions for receiving the arms, the size and shapeof the depressions corresponding to that of the arms whereby the spiderssnugly fit the said depressions and are held against relative rotativemovement with respect to the body of the tub.

4. In combination in a washing machine, a supporting frame, a tubmounted for oscillation thereon, means for oscillating the tubcomprising a downwardly projecting depending crank arm provided with anopentopped vertical radial slot having an abutment at its lowerextremity, said crank arm being urged to assume its normal verticaldepending position with its free outer end at its lowermost point underthe influence of gravity, an open-topped bearing attached to the framein alignment With the axis of said crank arm, a cylindricaltrunnionfixed to 5 one end of the tub and ournaled in the said bearing,and a trunnion block attached to the opposite end of the tub removablyand slidably fitting the radial slot of the crank arm whereby to renderthe tub readily removable from the frame by merely lifting 1O 7 WILLIAML. RODGERS.

